Teachers Talk About The Absolute Trashiest Things They've Ever Witnessed Parents Doing

Teachers see a lot more than lesson plans and homework. They also see the messy side of family life, and sometimes the things parents do are so outrageous they stick with them for years.

That is exactly what happened in this Reddit thread, where teachers shared the trashiest things they have ever witnessed parents doing. Some stories are sad, some are shocking, and a few are just plain unbelievable.

By the end, it is hard to tell what is worse, the behavior itself or the fact that so many kids had to live with it.

1. One Bad Egg

Work at a school where over 80% of our population lives under the poverty line. I keep a cabinet full of hygiene products for kids to take. Deodorant, lotion, chapstick, hair gel, feminine hygiene products, shampoo, conditioner, those kinds of things in travel sizes. Being a teen is hard enough without having to cope with hygiene problems due to lack of funds at home. So one day the entire thing is empty. Odd, I refill the cabinet and two days later all of it is gone again. Refill with the last of my supplies, catch the kid in the act of sweeping everything in his bag. I stop him, take him in the other room and talk to him. He told his mother about the cabinet. She ordered him to bring her everything he could get. She was returning the items to Walmart for store credit to buy cigarettes and beer. I told him to tell her the cabinet is locked now. I bought a bike lock so it was not a lie. It was sickening.Update: The lock was only on until the student left. It has been on the honor system for 15 years, over 1,700 students and only one abuser of the system; I call that a good record.Some asked or commented about feminine hygiene products and their availability at the nurse or health office. I added them early on to the cabinet when I found out that the nurse charged 0.50 for them and refused to let girls take one on credit.

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That cabinet was supposed to help kids, not fund someone’s bad habits.

2. That's just depressing.

Mother came to a school sports day swigging from a bottle of wine. We always felt desperately sorry for her daughter, because whenever she returned to school following a holiday at home (this was a boarding school) we had to wash all her clothes because they reeked of cigarettes, and this poor little girl was easily the most unhappy child I’ve ever seen.

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Some stories are less trashy than they are just heartbreaking.

3. Say what now?

Wreck their car buying drugs on the way to pick their child up from pre-school, and then try to get another parent to cover for them with their estranged husband.

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That is a wild level of bad judgment.

The Role of Parental InfluenceTeachers often witness the effects of parental behavior on children's development and socialization.

4. I did not see that coming.

Woman I used to babysit for worked in a school as an assistant or some sh*t in Toronto, she always told this story about how the class rabbit would go home with a new kid each weekend. But they finally caved and let him take the rabbit home.The parents killed the rabbit and ate it. They killed the class bunny and fried it up for dinner. They weren’t even ashamed when they told the teacher what happened on Monday. Said they were out of groceries or something.

tenor

That took a very dark turn fast.

5. Was he a nudist or a pervert? We may never know.

My mom’s a teacher and in order to talk to a parent about a child that was struggling due to the school environment, she arranged to meet at the parents house. Keep in mind this was scheduled in advance with a set time.The dad answered the door 100% naked and tried to have the meeting with him naked on the front porch.My mom doesn’t do anything outside the school anymore.

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That is one way to make sure there is no second meeting.

6. Some pepole shouldn't be parents.

Well, in my profession it’s more often what the parents don’t do that wins them the parent of the year award. But I do have a couple hall of Famers. I’m a special education teacher, so I deal with kids with all kinds of physical, emotional and academic disabilities. I took care of a little girl once who had a number of complications due to spina bifida. Her mother couldn’t be bothered to take care of her. The little girl wore diapers and was cath’d.She required 3-5 diaper changes a day. Mom would only send 5 diapers a week. The thing is, she was getting full services from her community, so she was being provided with plenty of supplies. We suspect Mom was probably selling the extras. I ended up just buying her diapers. Mom would not change her catheter regularly. We would change her out at school, but other than that she’d go another 24 hours before a change out. Longer, if it was a weekend.

Mom told us to ‘f off’ when we’d call and tell her to take her to a doctor. Found out later in the year that she also had scabies. We offered to administer the medications and creams at school. Mom told us to go to hell. Girl would come to school in men’s underwear, xxl shirts and size 16 pants. She was 8. Finally discovered that her 9 year old sister was changing her diapers and dressing her everyday, and sister couldn’t find any other cleanish clothes to put on her. Moms response “I’m busy. I have to get to work in the morning...[truncated]

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That one is just awful all the way through.

Furthermore, when parents fail to demonstrate healthy coping strategies, children are likely to adopt maladaptive behaviors. This reflects findings from social learning theory, which posits that individuals learn behaviors through observation and imitation. Consequently, teachers often find themselves not just educating children academically but also addressing the social and emotional fallout from their home environments.

By understanding these dynamics, educators can better support their students and advocate for positive changes in family engagement.

7. A happy ending.

Staff raised money to get an 8 year old girl a winter coat (live in rural Canada). Girl came to school the next day in a t shirt in the dead of winter, her mom wearing the brand new, child sized jacket.For those wondering - the principal confronted her about it and mom told her to f*ck off and anything her kids owned belonged to her and she could do what she wanted with it. Children’s Aide was called and that student lives with a very nice foster family now.

And it gets even messier when a coworker keeps stealing lunches from the office kitchen and gets banned.

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At least this one ended with the kid getting out of that situation.

8. The Peep Show Parent

The cafeteria, which is used for parent meetings, has tables with fixed bench seating. You have to swing a leg over to sit down. Parent wore a short skirt and was commando. She also got up several times.

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Some people really do not think before they sit down.

9. Literally terrible.

My cousin is a teacher and she once had a parent come to a parent/teacher conference extremely drunk and right before the meeting tried to start doing lines. Police were called and so was CPS. The school also had to call 911 once because a parent overdosed in the parking lot while waiting to pick up their kid, and the poor kid was too young to understand why their mom was slumped over in their car.

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That is beyond trashy, that is dangerous.

Strategies for Supporting StudentsTo effectively support students, teachers can implement strategies that promote social-emotional learning (SEL).

10. How dare she?

I taught elementary school. I had a 3rd grader who was well behind all the other children in reading skills. He seemed capable of reading, but just never put forth any effort. So I would pull him aside every chance I got and tutor him. It was paying off; he was progressing nicely.Then his mother showed up one afternoon mad as hell because the boy was learning to read. It took me a while to figure out what she was screaming about. It seems she was receiving disability payments because her boy was ‘r*tarded’ and incapable of reading. If the case worker found out the boy could read, the payments would stop.Luckily she caused such a commotion that the assistant principal got involved and she was threatened with arrest. But the poor little boy was scared whenever I tried to teach him.

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That poor kid was trapped in the middle of it.

11. F*cking PLEASE

This one was pretty funny. A parent brought out a pack of sweets or something and her son asked “can I have some?” To which the mother responded “where’s your f*cking manners? How about f*cking please?”I face-palmed so hard.

tenor

At least that one was rude in a memorable way.

12. Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Our vice principal is a former Army Sergeant who’s built like a tank. He’s well liked and an amazing role model in a community where many of our kids don’t have good male role models.On several occasions I’ve seen mothers step well over the line and make very sexual comments to him directly in front of their kids. I mean in plain sight of their own children and in ways the kids notice. He’s always very respectful and often asks another staff member to join him if he sees one of these parents coming to talk, but it’s pretty damn trashy when it comes to some of the innuendo I’ve overheard.These aren’t jokes either. They try to get handsy with him too.

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That is wildly inappropriate in front of the kids.

The Importance of Professional Development

Educators must also engage in ongoing professional development to understand the complexities of parental influence on student behavior. Workshops focused on family dynamics and effective communication strategies can equip teachers with the tools they need to navigate challenging situations.

By prioritizing professional growth, teachers can enhance their ability to support both students and their families, creating a more holistic educational approach.

13. Gross Parents are GROSS

I called a parent about a behavior issue. I must have been on speakerphone, because I heard the kid come home. Parent starts screaming at and whaling on the kid. Cussing, calling them all sorts of names. I don’t even know if the parent remembered I was on the phone. I hung up the phone and went to my principal. Teachers are mandated reporters. Don’t hit your kids in front of a teacher.

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That is the kind of thing nobody should ever hear.

14. Oh my.

I work in a school in one of the most socially deprived areas of the UK. At parents evening, we give every parent a printout of their child’s grades in each subject, alongside their target grades.Last year, we had the parent of an 11 year old respond to this printout by shouting “what the f*ck am I going to do with this? I can’t f*cking read can I?” This was in front of other children, parents and her child’s teachers.Final edit: People seem to be torn on seeing this as just trashy, or more as sad as if I might be picking on her a bit. A quick laugh behind closed doors at things like this seems to give a bit of levity for teachers in schools like mine. It can be tough. But I think the majority of people who work in these areas do it because they want to help conquer some of the social inequalities or issues that people are facing. Whether that’s for pure humanistic beliefs, their own ego, or just because it feels like you’re accomplishing something. Maybe a bit of each.Regardless, I feel sympathy for the woman in question, and her daughter. One of the aims of my job is to help prevent people reaching adulthood without the necessary skills to thrive. Her behavior doesn’t change that, and doesn’t make me assume I’m a higher class of person than she is, just dealt a different hand I guess.

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That moment was embarrassing for everyone in the room.

15. At least you tried.

I volunteer at after school programs to help tutor.I had a student earlier this year. Good kid. Loves math, loves computers. Wants to be a programmer when he grows up. He’s really struggling in 7th grade because he has no computer at home. We have to do his online assignments at the program, but we only meet twice a week.I pulled his mom aside and explained how he could be doing MUCH better in school with some kind of PC and internet access at home. She says she cant afford a computer. I tell her that for $200 I could piece all the parts together myself for a fully functional set-up that would be sufficient for at least the next few years. I’d even build it with him so he could learn some extremely valuable information. I’d even front her half, but she’d have to pay me back. She says no way, still way out of her budget.Mind you, while we’re having this conversation, she’s barely looking up to speak to me. Too busy scrolling thru the gram on her iPhone X.I say f*ck it, I’ll do it myself. Scrap together all of the parts I can for free, I only had to buy an hdd. The set-up was really out of date, but still worked. Gave it to them. Kid was thrilled.About a month later I notice he’s trying to finish all his hw at the program again. I ask his mom if everything’s OK with the computer. She says it broke down. I say OK, what happened? I’ll pick it up...[truncated]

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And of course, the story still was not done there.

Creating a Collaborative Classroom EnvironmentAdditionally, fostering a collaborative classroom environment can help students feel more connected and supported.

Cheers to the teachers out there, y'all do so much.

The experiences shared by teachers in this article highlight the stark realities of parental behavior and its direct impact on students. The anecdotes reveal not only the extremes of love and support in some homes but also the neglect and abuse present in others. These disturbing insights underscore the need for educators to cultivate relationships that go beyond the classroom. By engaging with families and understanding their circumstances, teachers can create a nurturing environment that addresses the diverse needs of their students.

Recognizing these dynamics is essential. When teachers are equipped to tackle the challenges posed by various parental behaviors, they can significantly enhance the educational experience and foster resilience among students facing adversity.

For another petty co-parenting showdown, read about the parent dressing their child in thrift-store clothes against the ex's wishes.